Street Lacrosse NYC 2025: ‘A perfect way to showcase our game to the next generation’

Street Lacrosse came to New York City on Saturday afternoon as Bronx Lacrosse, Brooklyn Lacrosse, Harlem Lacrosse and City Lax joined PLL, WLL and former college players on Kevin Durant’s court nestled in the heart of the East Village.

After a few hours of scrimmages between the kids from the four organizations in attendance, the pros stepped in for two 12-minute scrimmages and then a pair of charity games.

Rob Pannell and Sammy Jo Tracy were in their respective bags in the scrimmages. Pannell scored five goals in the first game – including a between-the-legs score – while adding a pair of saves and a caused turnover.

Tracy wooed the crowd as she hit Piper Bond with a gorgeous behind the back feed through the defense for a score.

The day culminated in the Women’s and Men’s Street Lacrosse Charity Championships between the Brooklyn Lacrosse and City Lax teams in the women’s game and the Bronx Lacrosse and Harlem Lacrosse squads in the men’s game.

The victor in each respective contest was set to win $5,000 from Cash App for the charity they were representing, with Cash App donating $2,500 to the losing squad’s charity.

Meg Carney, Meg Tyrell, Ellie Masera and Kendall Halpern headlined the Brooklyn team while Tracy, Ally Mastrioianni and Sam Geiersbach led City Lax.

Carney and Masera were the offensive stars for the Brooklyn Lacrosse team early. Masera scored from deep to put Brooklyn on the board. Shortly thereafter, Mastrioianni scored on a beautiful alley dodge with a diminishing angle to the cage.

City Lax went punch for punch with the star-studded Brooklyn squad, though. Tracy in particular wouldn’t be denied as she continued to thrive in the five-versus-five format. She made plays all over the court, winning the opening draw, notching two assists and going coast-to-coast off a tough ground ball.

Brooklyn built an 11-9 lead in the final minutes when Carney scored from nearly halfcourt and Lily Baldwin then ripped a step down shot to the opposite low corner of the net.

City Lax responded in turn again, tying the game at 11 in the final minute thanks to a flip assist from Tracy. That sent the game careening towards overtime until Halpern (of the New York Charging) picked up an Erin Bakes rebound and canned a buzzer-beating 10 yard step-down to win Brooklyn Lacrosse $5,000.

“I thought Bakes really had it,” Halpern said. “If there was one person at the end of that game who I want the ball in her hands, it’s Erin Bakes. [She’s] such a star for the California Palms. But, I saw the rebound and I scooped that ground ball up and just shot it and hoped for the best.”

Halpern’s second goal ended the back and forth thriller, sealing the 12-11 victory.

“It was so much fun to be out here in the streets of New York City playing for such amazing causes and so many great programs here,” she said, beaming after the win. “To play with the other WLL players, past college players as well as the PLL pros and to see how much support we get right here in NYC from all five boroughs is just so much fun.”

The men’s game followed the women’s with Bronx Lacrosse and Harlem Lacrosse going head-to-head.

Harlem Lacrosse was stacked with a handful of PLL players including Romar Dennis, Owen Hiltz, Piper Bond and BJ Farrare. Troy Reh led the Bronx squad, complemented by Johns Hopkins alums Brendan Grimes and Beaudan Szuluk along with the Embury brothers (Jamison, Hunter and William) out of Marist and former Denver Outlaws All-Star Mike Bocklet.

Hiltz, Dennis and Bond helped Harlem build a lead early. Bond and Dennis each made three saves in net as they used their large frames to take up as much of the small cage as they could.

Hiltz threw a behind-the-back feed to Dennis for a score before finishing two low angle shots on the lefty wing early in the action. The first came off multiple fakes while he was losing angle towards goal line extended. The second shot bounced off the far pipe and into the near low corner to put Harlem up 6-4.

Bronx Lacrosse responded in a major way, scoring four straight goals as Szuluk registered a hat-trick and the Embury brothers started cooking. Their squad led 9-6 entering the final two minutes of play before Hiltz did … Owen Hiltz things. He scored a third low-angle goal from his favorite lefty wing with roughly two minutes remaining and followed it up with an assisted goal off of a cut through the heart of the defense in the last 60 seconds.

The Embury brothers teamed up to wind the rest of the clock down, passing across the perimeter of the defense until Dennis, Bond and Farrare pressed out and chased them around the floor. They couldn’t get the ball back, though, and Bronx Lacrosse pulled out the upset.

Bocklet attributed the victory to “good ball movement.”

“We had the bigger roster,” he added. “We were rotating through. Guys were moving the ball, putting pucks on net and we scored the most goals.”

“It was a fun experience,” Szuluk said. “Great to be out here representing a great organization, Bronx Lacrosse. Super excited to have won the money for the team, and looking forward to seeing what they do with it.”

Bocklet, who’s on the board of Bronx Lacrosse, was ecstatic about the win.

“It’s special,” he said. “The team there, [at Bronx Lacrosse], they do so much for the kids. It’s really special to take it home for them.”

Everyone involved was enamored by the up-tempo, creative Street Lacrosse format.

“I think it’s the best style,” Bocklet said. “I think it’s the first style you fall in love with. You gotta love this, the skill and everything.”

“This style is super fun,” Halpern added. “I think it’s a great way for the fans and young kids to interact with it and see how fun and how the game can come to life. It’s a perfect, perfect way to showcase our game to the next generation.”

“It’s great,” Szuluk said. “I think it’s cool to bring it into the city like this. It’s great to see. Sticks, balls, tennis shoes are all you really need to have fun.”